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Nibelsnarf Ecology
In-Game Information Leviathans that have adapted to live in sandy areas. They burrow through sand and locate prey aurally, then suck both the target and any surrounding sand into their maws. The gill-like organs in their mouths are thought to absorb nutrients. Taxonomy Order:Leviathan - Suborder:Bottom feet wyvern - Infraorder:Unknown - Family:Unknown. Confirmed to be a Leviathan. It is most closely related to Gobul. It should be noted that it bears a resemblance to the real world Asian Hellbender Salamander, albeit with more monstrous features. Habitat Range Endemic to the Sandy Plains due to its high adaptation to sandy areas. Here these predators "swim" through the dunes of the Sandy Plains to launch fearsome ambush attacks on unsuspecting prey, hunters, and rival predators. Ecological Niche The Niblesnarf feast on anything that fit in their mouths, much like Gobul does. They mainly feed on Rhenoplos, but Delex are also part of their diet. It can swim through sand with great speed much like Cephalos, making it a fearsome predator. High on the food chain, only top predators like the Deviljho, Tigrex, and Rathian dare to attack it. It may also compete with the Sand Barioth for food, and could possibly defeat a Rust Duramboros if lucky. It has a sufficiently sized mouth to cause major harm to that beast, if this unlikely battle were to happen. The Niblesnarf may occasionally attack a Diablos, but this seems unlikely, due to the Wyvern's size and strength. Biological Adaptations It has the remarkable ability to swim in sand, shared only with a few monsters, and its streamlined body helps it move through it at great speeds. It has a huge mouth for eating its prey such as Rhenoplos in one bite, like the Gobul. It locates its prey with hearing. It shares this trait with the Agnaktor, which is also a land dwelling Leviathan. It is possible that the two developed this ability because they spend most of their time underground. It spits sand at predators that try to attack it. Its eyes are on top of its head, so it can see its prey easier when lurking in the sand. They also have salamander-like "gills" which it uses to filter out sand and absorb minerals in the sand. It uses this clearing of the sand as an attack, as the sand shoots from the gills at a high enough speed to hurt individuals caught in the blast. Niblesnarf seem to have very strong stomachs, capable of withstanding a bomb exploding in it. Inside the massive mouth of this predator is an enlarged uvula that stores nutrients. This organ is essential to the leviathan's survival within the arid Sandy Plains. Behavior The Niblesnarf are territorial creatures, but will hide itself in the sand when a top predator passes. The Niblesnarf will hide itself in a sand dune when injured. Although it may not have a chance of winning territory with other top predators, but it may become successful in fighting for food. It eats large monsters whenever it gets the chance and it might prey on weak or young wyverns unfortunate enough to stray into its territory. These creatures have also been known to accidentally eat barrel bombs that are placed by hunters. This happens due to the Leviathan's eyes being positioned on top of their heads and when charging with mouths a gape they're attacking virtually blind causing them to swallow the bombs by accident. There is also a report of a Nibelsnarf eating an entire merchant cart. Category:Monster Ecology Category:Leviathan Ecology